Water-circulation system for subways.



1.... .Ikh u w.- A. BARKER. WATER CIRCULATION SYSTEM FOR SUBWAYS.

` APPLCTIN FILED FEB TT' 95- T ,094. Patented-.Tune 22 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l w. A, mnuin.v wma' CIRCULATION SYSTEM ron, suwus.

APPIIICATION FILED FEB. Il' l9l'5.

2 SHEETS-SHEET?.-

ratemd Jim@ 22,5191@ UNITED WENDELL AQBARKER, lor'cilcaco, ILLINOIS.

warnacmcurarroiv sYsrEM ron sUsWAYs.

. To all 'whom it may. concern 1 purposes 'troughs at relatively vlevelsof the latter,

" sump and a sound, stop tainedat aheight at. or slightly -,'culativon.system comprising a return Be it known that I, WENDEEL A. BARKER, acitizen of the United States, residing at `Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of 5 Illinois, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Water-Circulation Sysf tems for Subwaysof which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatusin the nature of a watercirculation system designed for application to subways, tunnels,yemployed for transportation and the. like,

.through the agency of railway trains, and has for its main object todeaden fiying particles of dust, moisten and sweeten the atmosphere,cooling it in summer and warming it in winter, and to facilitate thewashing ofthe walls and the -ioorf of the' subway when required andprovide a ready means of protection against A fire.

To this end the invention comprises es'- sentiallylongitudinal troughsformed in or upon the inclined floor ofthe subway in which thetrack-rails are laid, and means for maintaining a' slow circulation ofwater through said troughs, the water being mainabove the water cir- Howconduit that communicates with the trackhigh and low points or and apump interposed in said return-flow conduit for maintaining a continuousslow circulation of the body of waterv through vthe latter and thetroughs.

In order to maintain the comparative purity'and cleanliness of the watersupply used inthe system, lmeans are provided for discharging soiled or`foul system as it accumulates, and for introducing fresh clean waterthereto 'to take its place, This latter means preferably comtreadsurface of the rails, such prises a sump or well interposed in the re#yturnflow conduit,l into which the water drains from the lowest point ofthe troughs, and from which, trolling valves, the water, when Asoiled orfouled may be discharged. Preferably, and 'as herein`.'shown, I, employa clean water foul water or 4skimmer sump located. alongside theclean'water sump, with 'an overfiow connection from-the top of the,latter intothe top of the formervto collect the skimmings from theclean -vvater sump for "periodical Specicatio'n of Letters Patent'.

water from the by means of suitable conlpreferably" provide in thedischarge as the skimmer the tready of therails.`

Patented June 1915.

Application tiled February 11, 1915. Serial No. 7,628.

sump becomes filled; this obviating the 'inc-` cessity of morefrequentperiodic discharges `of the main or clear water sump.

My invention, its mode of operation, and the benefits and advantagessecured thereby will all be readily understood when considered inconnection with the accompany' ing drawings wherein I have illustratedone simple and practical embodiment of the invention, and in which,,-

Figure l is a longitudinal section, broken out at both ends,4 through asubway or tunnel of the general character employed under the beds ofrivers, having my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan section onthe line 2--2 of Fig.'1; Fig, 3 is a cross section on the line 3'3 ofFig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in crosssection through the ioor ofthe subway in the transverse plane of thfe water supply pipes at thehigh end o f the track-troughs; Fig. 5 is a similar section in theyplane of the drain pipes at the low end of the track-troughs.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates as an entirety a subway ortunnel of the character usually employed beneath the bed .of a river'orstream, wherein the Hoor of the tunnel is lowest at or about its centerand gradually inclines 4upwardly therefrom to both ends.

The inclination of the floor is somewhat exaggerated in Fig. 1j in orderto more clearlyv illustrate the mode of operation of the system. 11designates the floor of the subway, in which are formed longitudinallyextendingv troughs'lQ, in which are laid the track-rails 13; the troughsbeing preferably of such a depth that theup- .per surfaces of the treadsof the rails are 'slightly below the tops. of the troughs, so that, whenthe troughs are v level full of water, the treads of the rails areslightly submerged.

As the ioor of thesubway is slightly inclined from each end downwardlyto approximately the central point, it is manifest that water suppliedto the, troughs at the high end of the latter will How down the lat-Vter to the lowest level; and in order to'jcheck or retard the rate ofiowin cases where the be considerable, I troughs a flow-, retard'ng #agent which, in the .l instance? shown, may comprise a body. 4of-cobbleor crushed stone I4- (Figs. '4 ande) filling the troughs t`oapproximately thelowest sideof The low and high degree of inclinationmay points of the troughs are connected by a return-flow bonduit'Which-,l in.- the instance shcivmcompr'ises the following: 1.5designatesawi'ater suppl'ypipe at each' end, or other..electedhigh'poinn the-lower'or liorif. zontal bend', of whicligisembedded in and transversely 'to `the floor '11 (Fig. L1), and has a4short vertical discharge nozzle 15' opening through the upper surfaceof the floor midl0| Way loetwieei'il .the two rails of each track, sothatfthe Water emerging therefrom .readily oyerflcws into theticughs-oneach side.' 16 designates1 av drain pipe (Fig. 5) similarly embed'ded'inand transversely of thelfloor 11. at the .center or other selectedlew'point of .the o'org-sa'id drain "pipe communicating withthe'tracktroughs through short. lateral" branches ll6".' This dra-inpipe leads into aV clear Water sui'npl' preferably .located in the Hoorof4 the sub'way. adjacent. .to loneside Wall thereoff. l The sump- 17 isconnected with the supply pipe l'byaxsystem ofjpiping'..l comprising, inAthe 'instance here shown, a

Vertical pipe section 18 rising fram-near the bottoni of the Isui'np 17',a. rotary 'pump 19 connected on its suction side-to the upper endvofthe pipe section 18, ,a short section 20 connected into, the4discharge Vside of the pump 19,'an X coupling-'21,a short' lateralpipesection 22, and longitudinal section 28 communicating with. .thesupply. pipe'sec- -Way into a sewer pipe indicatedljat '28.

Alongside the main or clear Water sump'17 is a foul Water or skimmersump 29 that communicates at its upper. end with the clear water sump 17throu'ghan overflow duct,ir`i

. dicated at 80.' A; branch pipe 31 leads from near the bottom oftheskimmerfsiimp '29." into the .returnfflow pipe section 18. -A cockl 32in thebranch pipe 26. governs they admission of' freshwater'into theci'ri'ilation-systeni cocks 33 and 34- in the sump-delivery pipes 18 and31,`respectively, control the.-

passage of Water from. the sumps, a jcock.

for admitting fresh Water thereto when required.

in the .ldischarge pipe 27 controls thedisl charge otoul Waterthroughg'the' `latteirio the sewer, and a. cock 36 in 4the`return-iiowpipe section 23 controlsj-tl'ieow. 0fy Water through the latter.` In thenori'iial operation of the system, cocks32', 34 and 35 are closed andcocks .33 ande are .open.- The operation of the pump 19, under. theseconditions,

maintains a ccntinueus circulationjthiough the track-troughs and the'return-flow conduit including the sump 17. lVhen an accumulation of.foul Water, representing the skimmingsl from the` sump 17 is to bedischarged from the sump-29, the cocks.33 and 36 are closed andthe cecks34 and are opened, thus draining the sump 29. Occa-v sionall'y it-isdesirable to empty and clean the sump 17, and lthis is done by closingthe cock 36' and opening the cock 35; the system .being then filled byopening'the cockV 32.

From the oregoingldescription of the op- I eration of .the systemit--isbelieved that the mannerin which the stated advantages thereof aresecu`red will be readily seen. As the tracks are submerged in Waterthere is no dusti'rom the roadbed to be stirred up and scattered throughthe atmosphereofthe subway, thepresence ef the Water meistens theatmosphere to.' a desirable extent and 'i'nederates the 'temperature in.a desirable manner, bothy in-'extr'eme cold and extreme -hot periods.vand the lsubmerging of .the track rails 'very largely'deadens the rearol the trains ltraveling at 'high speed over the latter.

`iet-,.371 have indicated a hydrantconnection on the 'water supply pipe2 5 for a hose that'may be used in Washing .down the .walls and floor ofthetunnel, r in extinguishing Eres. or for any other desirable'purpose.

Without limiting myseliI to the specific destructure 'and arrangement ofthe .parts described, which. may lbe considerably variedl Within thepurview of. the invention Without involving any departure from theprinciple thereof'or any lessening of the advantages secured thereby, 'Iclaim;

V2. Infa Water circulation system for subways,'the combination Witli'aninclined fleoref a' subway. oftrack-troughs carried thereby, track-railsin; said troughs, a return lion"` Water lconduit communicating' at itsends With relatively lon7 and high peints of said track-troughs,respectively, a Water circulation pump located in said return-Howcend'uin lmea-ns `ttor collectingl and .discharging oulwater'from. s aidsystem. and means l.3.. In a ways, the cmbination withl an inclinedHooi` -ofasubway, of track-'troughs carried thereby,trackrails .laid linsaid troughs. a return-flow Water conduit communicating at its ends withrelatively lou' and high `peints of.saidftrackftioughs. respectively.flow.

1. In a Water circulation system for sub,- -Ways', the combination withan inclined floor 'of asubway. of'track-trcughs carried there- -by.,track-rails in said troughs, a return-How water. conduit communicatingat its ends "Water circulation system for sub- I retarding agent in4said track-troughs, and

supplying Water to said troughs at a relatively high point of thelatter, a drain pipe -communicating With said troughs at a relativelylow point of the latter, a sump into which said drain pipe discharges,an'd a pipe connecting said sump with said supply pipe, anda Watercirculation 1n one of salid pipes. l

5. In a Water circulation system for subpump located ways, thecombination with an inclined 'floor of a subway,l of track-troughscarried thereby, track-rails laid-v in said troughs, areturn-flow' Water-conduitfcomprising a pipe for supplying Water to said-troughs at arelatively high point of the latter, a drain pipe ycommunicating withsaid troughs at a relati\f'ely low point of the latter, a sump into'which said drain pipe discharges, and a pipe connecting said sump withsaid sup- -ply pipe,l a Water circulation pump in said connecting pipe,a fresh Water admission pipe connected to said supply pipe, a foul Waterdischarge pipe connected toY said connecting pipe on the discharge sideof said pump, and suitable valves governing the How of Water'through'pipes, troughs, and sump. v

6. In a Water circulation system for subways, the combination with aninclined floor of a subway, of track-troughs carried thereby,track-rails laid in said troughs, a returnflow Water conduit comprisinga pipe for supplying water to lsaid troughs, at-a relatively high pointofthe latter, a drain pipe communicating with said troughs at a relavtively low point of the latter, a clear Water sump into which' saiddrain-pipe discharges, and a pipe connecting said clear Water sump withsaid supply pipe, a Water circulation pump in said connecting pipe, askimmer sump located adjacent to'said clear Water sump, an'overfiow ductfor the skimmings from said clear w'ater'sump into said skimmer sump, apipe connecting said skimmersump with said connecting plpe on thesuction side of said pump, a foul Water dis-y charge pipe connected tosaid connecting pipe Ion the discharge side of said pump', and suitablevalves governing the flow of water through said pipes, troughs andsumps.

WENDELL A. BARKER. Witnesses:

S. N. POND, A. G. LATIMER.

